When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed DeSean Jackson, it seemed like they were adding the missing link to an already talented offense that needed one more key ingredient. Through three games, it hasn’t worked out that way. Jackson and quarterback Jameis Winston are still working on finding a connection.
On Tuesday, Jackson expressed frustration at the lack of progress, but he also made it known that he intends to keep working.
“[It’s] definitely hard, feeling like being a veteran in this league 10 years in, but I’m not gonna abort ship,” Jackson said, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. “I’ll stay on-course, stay on plan. Eventually it will come together. We just gotta continue to go out keep beating, beating away and the things you need to do to get better.”
Jackson did have a decent statistical game in Tampa’s Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, catching four passes for 84 yards with a touchdown. But there were plenty of missed opportunities in that one, and it was sandwiched between two less than stellar games that saw Jackson catch a combined five passes for 59 yards.
Jackson also noted that he has less experience with Winston that his teammates, especially Mike Evans, and that it factors in to the slow start.
“When you go out there and play with a guy for so many years, he knows what to expect. It’s still fresh, still new with me,” Jackson said, via Laine. “We all know how much [Winston] wanted me, how much I wanted to be here as well. Hopefully it will work out. That’s all that matters.”
The good news for the Buccaneers is that, despite the slow start for Jackson and the offense, the team sits at 2-1. If Jackson and Winston can develop more of a consistently formidable tandem in the coming weeks, then Tampa’s offense has explosive potential.